Various devices exist for measuring the depth of a gum pocket in periodontal or other dental treatments. These devices generally include inserting some form of probe into the pocket and having a scale associated with the probe so as to measure the depth of the pocket. Such devices are of varying reliability because their effectiveness depends to a great extent upon requiring a uniform force from measurement to measurement in inserting the probe into the pocket where manual pressure is used to apply that force. There is a virtual certainty that uniform and reliable results will not be obtained.